Working with Sitra - Public Web Analytics Case

This year I have been working with Sitra, the Finnish Innovation Fund with focus on their challenges in utilizing web analytics. Three weeks ago we agreed that the work will be public, so this here's my first post on how we started the co-operation. In the end of January I got a meeting request from Marjut Mutanen (@marjut), who got my contact details from my colleague Leevi Kokko (@leevikokko, thanks mate, I owe you a pint...:))

We had a quick first meeting with Marjut and Karoliina Luoto Karoliina Luoto (@totoroki) in the beginning of February. Right after the meeting I got access to their Google Analytics account and gave them an offer the very same day. The offer included some preparation work and a two hour lecture about what is web analytics. This was the kick-off as well as an introduction to the people at Sitra's side who should be involved in analytics.

Prior to the presentation, Marjut and I did a quick questionnaire with the participants, just to know more about their knowledge and level. I sent these questions to 16 people and got back 7 replies (answer rate 43,75 %). With name, title and contact information - we asked the following questions:

• Are you involved in developing or updating of any websites (or web services)? Which one?
• What kind of role you have in development or updating of these web services?
• What kind of goals there are set up for these web services?
• What should these web services do or produce?
• Have you used previously some kind of web analytics system, e.g. Google Analytics, Snoobi? 
• How long and how often you have used these web analytics systems?
• What kind of data or reports you have looked at or analyzed?
• What benefits you have got from the web analytics system?
• What kind of data / information you would like to get from the usage of these web services?
• What kind of development ideas you have got previously?
• What kind of expectations you have for the lecture?

In the kick off on March 9th we had 13 participants out of 16 (81,25 %). You can see my presentation below:

After the presentation we sent out couple of feedback questions. Unfortunately we only got answers back from five persons (feedback rate 38,46 %). We asked the participants to rate the following details on a scale from 1 to 5 (1 - lousy, 2 - tolerable, 3 - medium, 4 - good, 5 - excellent):

• content and expediency of questionnaire before lecture / kick off (average 4,2)
• content of lecture / presentation (average 4,2)
• speed of lecture / presentation (average 4,6)
• expertise of lecturer (average 4,8)

We also asked: what were you missing and what are your expectations for the future?

Mid March I received Sitra's web strategy and we had another meeting with Karoliina and Marjut in the beginning of April. A week after the meeting we agreed that we will have a workshop together. That's another story I will post later on. Like always, any feedback and comments are welcome!